Prisoner 'eaten alive' by bedbugs inside filthy jail cell
Lashawn Thompson had only been in jail for three months before he was found unconscious in the filthy prison cell.
The family of a prisoner who died while living in "filthy" conditions are suing the jail, after over "1000 bedbug bites" were found on his body.
Lashawn Thompson was found inside his jail cell in the US state of Georgia, with his family claiming the medical staff onsite "ignored his declining health" and did not attempt to resuscitate him.
US media covering the incident shared they had to be selective in which images they released to the public, as many were deemed "too disturbing to show", with bedbugs and lice found inside the victim's mouth, nose, eyes and ears. Other inmates shared his cries for help were often left unanswered by prison guards.
It is unknown why Mr Thompson was serving time, however his family's lawyer Ben Crump shared he had only been in prison for three months and suffered with diagnosed mental illnesses before his death.
'Deplorable' conditions for psychiatric prison ward
Speaking to local media on Monday, Mr Crump explained that despite the released images being distressing, the pictures which captured Mr Thompson's deceased state were "far worse".
"When you look at the cell it is clear that this was a human rights violation," he said to NewsNation.
"You can just imagine the miserable, god awful death that he suffered."
The lawyer continued by saying that the local sheriff had responded to the incident, sharing three head officials of the jail had lost their jobs, however, it is believed the "infestation of bugs and rodents" has been a longstanding issue inside the prison.
Despite the family believing their relative was "eaten alive" by bugs, the prisoner's medical examiner said the cause of death was unknown.
With an independent autopsy "critical", civil rights activist and famous sportsman Colin Kaepernick has offered to pay for the procedure on the family's behalf.
"The family want some kind of justice and accountability, not just for Lashawn Thompson, but also for other people who might have mental illnesses and get arrested and put into these conditions," Mr Crump said.
"That's why we're fighting."
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